Published 12:38 pm, Saturday, May 10, 2014

Steele, one of 50 fellows, is a member of the school's soccer team and volunteers for a local grass-roots tennis program as a mentor and community liaison.

The newly selected ANNpower Fellows share a common interest in creating effective and sustainable solutions to challenges in their communities. Their ideas range from building mentorship programs for girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math to addressing healthy eating and environmental preservation.

The fellows will participate in the 2014 ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., from June 16 to 19, when they will receive leadership training, mentorship opportunities and will meet with internationally renowned women leaders, who are part of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network, as well as executives from ANN INC., including Kay Krill.

Armed with the skills she learns at the forum, Steele will return to her community tasked with creating a project that will affect positive social change. She is passionate about supporting cancer survivors and wants to start a project to provide them and their families free professional portrait sessions.

"In the coming year," Steele said, "my goal is to serve women and their families in the breast cancer journey."

Each fellow will be eligible to receive an ANNpower project grant to put her ideas into action.